Lauterbach Cellars: Mom-and-Pop Operation Out of a Garage

By: Stacy Briscoe

SHARE

You might be wondering if you took a wrong turn somewhere when you pull up to Lauterach. The modest winery is a literal mom-and-pop operation stemming out of a two-car garage. That’s Stew and Barb Lauterbach working away in their modest winery. They are owners and operators, grape growers and winemakers, tasting room attendants and bottleshop sellers. This is a literal mom and pop operation.

The hilltop house (no, this isn’t actually their home) looks over fields of vines. “All along here is the Pinot Noir,” Stew Lauterbach will say, pointing. “And down the hill — that’s our Syrah.” You will be drinking the fruits of your immediate 15-acre surroundings.

What you can expect from your time with Stew and Barb is pretty much anything you want. If you simply want to taste a selection of current releases, they’ll have them all lined up on a folding table ready and waiting. But this is your chance to learn the nitty gritty of wine making from a couple who made a passion project successful. Stew still works as a medical professional and Barb is a recently retired attorney; they’ve learned everything through community courses and experience.

This is your chance to ask as many questions as possible, and immerse yourself in the day-to-day of winemaking. Don’t know about malolactic fermentation? Barb Lauterbach will open a currently fermenting barrel and let you listen to the snap, crackle and pop of the process. Never experienced blending trials? Stew Lauterbach will walk around to a few unblended barrels, syringe-squeeze samples into your glass, and explain how winemakers decide what percentages of what varietals go into each wine.The two have learned everything they know about making a passion project successful through community courses and trial-and-error. Chances are if you have a question about something, they’ve had to answer that same question for themselves at one point. Don’t limit yourself to the wine flight. Taste and experiment with everything this kind couple has to offer. — February 2017

WHAT TO TRY: A recent visit featured Lauterbach Cellars’ 2013 Late Harvest Syrah — their first late harvest vintage. According to Stew, the Syrah in 2013 was so plentiful, they had enough to let a few vines hang past harvest. Letting the grapes grow through most of November, they developed a richer, full-bodied flavor — perfect for a dense “dessert-style” wine. But to their pleasure — and to the pleasure of those who may not fancy dessert wines — the Late Harvest Syrah has enough savory spices and hearty tannins to balance out the bold fruit flavors and residual sugars. One could easily drink this wine alone or with a good meal.

INSIDE INFO: Sparkling Rouge — the latest experiment in Lauterbach Cellars. It’s the couple’s first attempt at a sparkling wine, and they’ve utilized the saignée of their Pinot Noir to create it.